Colorado's unemployed share stories of hope, getting by

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A profoundly troubled economy has left thousands of Coloradans with a wrenching problem: They want to work but cannot find a job.

To make ends meet, they do the once unimaginable and walk through the doors of the Colorado Unemployment Office. The lines and waits they encounter can be long ones.

On Aug. 3, Denver Post photographer Joe Amon took a camera and video recorder to the unemployment office in Capitol Hill. He spent the day talking with the jobless and underemployed. Some had been out of work for nearly two years, others for two weeks.

Amon came back with six people's stories, brief portraits in words and photographs. Resilience runs through each one. William Porter

A note on the photos: Amon used an Omega View 450 4-by-5 large-format camera. It was loaded with Polaroid Type 55 black-and-white instant sheet film, a product that is no longer manufactured.

Yohanns Carr, 25

Carr moved to Denver from Seattle, landing a job at Northwest Pipe Co. Six months later he was among employees laid off at the business.

We really didn't have too much notice, but we had enough notice to at least bring ourselves together and come to grips with what was going on. Now that I'm on unemployment, I'm just basically looking to procure a new job and continue to furbish my lifestyle the way I see fit.

Economically, I don't know, the country is kind of up and down to me, but as far as locally here, Denver offers a lot of services and supplemental money for the people who live here and the people who are getting government help. But it is looking scarce because they're running out of money, so people are calling on their emergency unemployment funds.

I don't know how that'll turn out, but as long as people can stay afloat, keep food on the table and do what they've got to do, something is gonna eventually happen for all of us if we just stay determined and keep going. Pretty much that's really what everybody has to do.

I do have a good support system, so that helps me keep going. You know, it's pretty tough, but I am single, so I only have to really worry about myself. I don't have any children to worry about.

But as far as the near future, yes, I am going to go back to school, get some skills and basically move on from there. Just keep living and getting skills, try to get the knowledge. 'Cause that's what sets everybody apart.

Jane Plomondon, 71

Plomondon was laid off twice in the past year. The Denver resident lost her job at the Denver Design Center in September, then was laid off from a small furniture shop in April.

It was sort of a bad time all around. I filed for unemployment benefits; I think it was like the first of May. I had filed for them before, when I got laid off the first time, but I got a job three weeks later, so I didn't have to collect. It's especially hard at my age to find a job, part time or otherwise. And I know that's the reality of it.

I have friends of mine that keep me posted, and I have two brothers involved in the same industry, and they let me know if they hear anything. I've been over those young people's websites like Craigslist and Monster, and there just isn't a lot out there right now for part time and especially for people that are older. I have always had a job, so this is sort of like, "How'd that happen? I don't have a job."

It's frustrating; it's discouraging; it's a little scary at times. I'm fortunate in some ways, in that my condominium is paid for, my car is paid for, I don't have a lot of debt.

At my age I obviously collect Social Security, but you just want something that sort of takes the edge off of it in some ways financially. And also to be out with people. I've got the cleanest condo in Capitol Hill! I don't want to stay home. I want to feel reasonably productive at the end of the day.

I think the only thing we can do is remain positive. I think that otherwise you wouldn't get out of bed in the morning. So I think down the road it will improve. I don't think there are any options. It has to improve.

Cory Vestal, 25

Vestal was laid off from Autocon on July 24. The Littleton resident is an electrician.

Since the change in the economy, I've gone from living on my own and going out on the weekends like most 25-year-old people do, to cutting back everything I have, not going out, living with my mom now and just making a lot of different cutbacks in my life.

We've both ended up moving back in with my mom — my fiancee is with me there — and it's changed a lot of things. She's not used to living with a big family, living with other people. It's just been us for the last five years.

We've been through a lot together, and we'll get through this. Lately it's been kind of scary. I'm not too sure what exactly is going to happen. You know, watching the news and the different things that people say, it's hard to interpret it all and figure out what actually is going to be happening or who I can trust, or which road is the best direction for me.

I think that after everyone kind of gets a little acclimated to different living, as far as budgeting themselves, I think that we can all learn to get through this. It's only going to be a matter of time before things hopefully go back to where they were, and people are able to start working again. And it won't be as scary for everyone, every day, thinking they are going to lose their job or how they're going to put the next meal on the table, or whatever it may be.

Jewell Mitchell, 50

Mitchell of Denver worked at a catering firm until she got a phone call, telling her she was laid off.

She just tells me out the blue, "We're letting you go, we feel like you're not an asset to the company anymore and we're letting you go." So I said "OK, well, well good working for ya — goodbye." Punched out and went home.

There I was, no job. And I told my mom and I told my sister, and then I went kinda down from there. Then I was depressed. 'Cause you don't have no income anymore, so from there, I kinda went job hunting, signed up for unemployment. They said, well, you gotta do the job service thing.

So you go to job service, get on the computer.

Then I went to another company and worked for them doing catering again, and they laid quite a few of 'em off. I was one of the few. Then I said, "Well, I guess I'll go back down to unemployment again." So I called and got through, and here I am, on emergency now.

I have one kid left, 17. I stay with my sister, help her out. I get food stamps. My unemployment pays basic stuff: necessities, bus fare. If I can find a job here pretty soon, I hope to be able to move into my own place with my son. Oh, there's always hope, there is. There's hope.

Anita Fitzpatrick, 40

Fitzpatrick of Erie worked for a small job-development firm for the disabled until the owner died, leaving her unemployed.

I immediately tried to find work. A friend of mine was opening a restaurant in Evergreen, so I went to work with her. We got the business together, opened the doors, and the economy is just not what it used to be. We struggled for about six months and finally decided on Dec. 31 that it was no longer feasible to open our doors to our customers.

I think there were eight people there at the restaurant, and we all lost our jobs. Since then I have been vigorously looking for employment. But I don't want to give up hope because I know there is something out there for me.

After losing my job at the restaurant and trying to go on, I found that my savings went quickly. It only lasted a couple of months. You think you're stable until you don't have any money. I lost my place to live, and luckily I had friends take me in. I'm going through a terrible custody battle right now, my ex-husband is using it against me, that I'm poor.

It has affected my family in a terribly negative way. Being on unemployment should be a good thing, but really it's a struggle, and it allows people to punish you, really.

I have a pretty good attitude toward life, so I'm trying to make the best of every situation. It has taken part of my spirit from me. But I will apply for as many jobs as I can, and hopefully there will be a fit for me somewhere. I see the light at the end of the tunnel still. It's not quite gone yet, but it's a long way away.

Marcos Cordova, 60

Cordova worked at CaridianBCT as a medical equipment technician. The Denver resident was among several people laid off in his department.

When I got laid off, they just asked me to come into the office to talk to the supervisor, and when I went into the supervisor's office, his supervisor was also there. So I kind of thought, oh, well, something's going on here. Then they said you no longer have a job here, you're off. You can finish out the day if you want to, or you can just go ahead and leave now if you want, but we'll pay you for the whole day.

The economy right now is pretty bad. It's gotten about as bad as I've seen it, and I've seen quite a few downturns in the economy. It seems with every downturn, I get laid off. Then usually it's a year before I can find another job.

Right now, I've had to take out almost half of the money that I had in my IRA, which kind of worries me because I am nearing retirement age. Having to use my retirement before I retire in order to pay the bills is not good. My wife, they cut back on her hours on her job, so she's working part time now. We're really struggling, but we're managing to pay the bills, and we haven't gone into arrears on anything.

I'm kind of an optimist. I've always looked on the bright side of things. I really do think the economy is turning around. Myself, I just want another full-time job, where I can make enough to make money to make ends meet, so we can get back on to putting money into my IRA.

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